Premier Mchunu and ANC failing to act against thugs in the province

25 September 2018

Claims that senior members of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal are colluding with controversial groups such as Mkhonto weSizwe (MK) vets and the Federation for Radical Economic Transformation (FRET) in disrupting government business in the province points to a party that cannot escape its past while it drags the people of our province down with it.

The allegation, made in a media report earlier today, comes after ongoing disruptions to municipalities amid demands for jobs and tenders, culminating in several KZN government senior officials being held captive over a list of demands related to supply chain management.

It is increasingly clear that our province is being held hostage by thugs and that the ANC has to do something about it. This problem stems from a lack of accountability within the party’s own ranks and a lack of repercussions for those who have broken the law.  This is evidenced by the ANC-led provincial government’s failure to lay criminal charges against those responsible for holding several KZN Health Department officials captive earlier this month even after Sihle Zikalala – in his capacity as Acting Premier – threatened the arrest of all the people who invaded KZN’s government offices.

The DA has been reliably informed that, as a result of this hostage situation, the Treasury task team brought in to ensure better fiscal management within KZN’s DoH has now been recalled.  As a result, we have today submitted a written parliamentary question to KZN Finance MEC Belinda Scott asking whether there is any plan for this team to return to complete the job. Or is this going to be a case of the DoH continuing unchecked down its path of fiscal degeneration at the expense of proper health services to KZN’s people?

The people of our province can no longer be treated like second-class citizens. The continual havoc being witnessed brings instability to our province which results in economic adversity and a lack of investment and ultimately fewer jobs.

The DA expects KZN Premier Willies Mchunu to act in the best interests of the people of our province. He must show once and for all that he is prepared to act against those who continue to deliberately place the future of our province – and that of its people - at risk.

Issued by Francois Rodgers, DA KZN Spokesperson on Finance, 25 September 2018